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There was a time when the Australian forward pack was without peer.
Whether it contained Glenn Lazarus, Petero Civoniceva or Payne Haas, before the latter switched his allegiances to Samoa, no international rival could provide as much grunt up front.
But now? The Kangaroos pack is still an intimidating one, particularly given the presence of big boppers Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Pat Carrigan up front for the first Ashes tour in 22 years. Then there’s Angus Crichton, Hudson Yeo, Isaiah Yeo, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter and Keaon Koloamatangi, all stars in their own right.
But when you consider the big boppers that Pacific Championship rivals New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga can now call upon, there’s every chance Australia won’t be having it all its own way in next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Take, for starters, a look at the Kiwis pack. Moses Leota has been reunited with former Penrith teammate James Fisher-Harris as the starting props, a one-two punch complemented by Joseph Tapine, Brit Nikora and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Or there’s the Tongan behemoths Addin Fonua-Blake, Stefano Utioikamanu, Jason Taumalolo, Siua Wong, Felise Kaufusi, Mo Fotuaika, Eli Katoa and Leka Halasima.
Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo and Samoa’s Junior Paulo.Credit: Getty
And then you’ve got Samoa forwards Haas, Josh Papalii, Junior Paulo, Jeremiah Nanai and Francis Molo. Their side is so stacked that Terrell May has been named on an extended bench for Sunday’s blockbuster clash against Tonga at Suncorp Stadium.
“They are definitely full of powerful athletes, with a lot of experience too,” Samoan front-rower Paulo said of the quality of Pacifika packs.
“It’s probably the most evenly matched Pacific Champs that we’ve had over the last three years or so. It’s good for the international scene as well, a good building stage in the lead up to the World Cup.
“They are full of powerhouses across the board, it’s hard to pick who is at the top, it’s quite evenly matched.
“That’s something the international scene has been longing for and we’ll finally see it happen.
“It’s been a very good build up to the scenes.”
So which pack is the best? Statistically speaking, data provided by the NRL shows there’s a struck match between them. They’ve looked at all the forwards playing international matches this weekend and looked at how many each nation has, when it comes to those ranked in the top-10 for forward-related stats in their position.
Once the numbers are crunched, the Kangaroos come out just a smidgen ahead of the Kiwis, with little separating Samoa and Tonga.
A growing number of players who are eligible for Australia have decided to represent their Pacifika roots. Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita changed the international game when they pledged their allegiance to Tonga eight years ago, paving the way for dozens of other NRL big boppers to do likewise.
Paulo believes the development will make next year’s Rugby League World Cup the most hotly contested yet.
“It’s probably something the international scene has been crying out for; we’re used to seeing competition between a couple of sides in that space, but now we’re seeing a genuine four or five teams that can compete and compete well,” he said.
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“It’s not long before we see more teams start to stack their sides as more people want to represent their heritage. Not only in the Pacific stage, but also some European countries as well. That’s something I’m looking forward to seeing, and I want to be a part of that in the next couple of years … it will make for great competition.”
A highlight of Sunday’s Tonga-Samoa clash will be the opening exchanges, as the opposing forwards rip into each other during the so-called softening-up period. But just before that, there’s another memorable confrontation when the teams eye each other off during their respective war cries.
“There’s a battle on the field, and there’s a battle of the war cries between the Siva Tau and Sipi Tau,” Paulo said.
“As a spectator, I’m sure that’s something they enjoy watching leading up to the game. The feeling we get away from that is a passion that comes before the battle.
“There’s always that borderline where you don’t want to cross it, you understand both teams are passionate about their nation and heritage. Once that happens, everyone tries to get a couple of breaths in to settle their nerves.
“The atmosphere goes to another level during that, but it’s about being able to compose yourself for the next 80 minutes of footy you need to play.”
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